Teams Hunkin, Sturmay carry experience into Alberta Scotties curling

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Becca Hebert has watched her husband’s first cousin, Ben, win a handful of nationwide curling titles.

So the Chestermere rock star is a straightforward go-to man for recommendation within the sport and what it takes to be a winner.

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“Oh … completely,” agreed Hebert, of the high-profile Brandon Bottcher lead and four-time Brier champion. “Prefer it’s a extremely nice perspective to see the place Ben is at and what it takes to be on the very prime. He supplies a variety of perception and mentorship alongside the way in which. He’s very open to answering any questions I’ve.

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“So it’s undoubtedly a push for me to see the place I want to be.”

The place Calgary’s Hebert is that this week — in a push to develop into a nationwide champ — is on the Sentinel Storage Alberta Scotties Match of Hearts in St. Paul.

The eight-team occasion to resolve a provincial winner, which opened Wednesday night time and rolls via Sunday, is the following step within the means of becoming a member of her cousin-in-law as one other Hebert on the medal podium at a Canadian championship.

And he or she feels the crew she’s with — that being Group Hunkin from Spruce Grove — may help her discover, at the least, what has confirmed to be an elusive Alberta victory.

In any case, skip Jessie Hunkin and third Jessie Haughian do boast provincial-winning resumés. Hunkin performed second for Robyn Silvernagle’s two-time Saskatchewan-champion squad in each 2019 and 2020, whereas Haughian was the second for the Alberta winner skipped by large sister Casey Scheidegger in 2018.

“And between all of us, we’ve misplaced possibly 5 or 6 provincial finals,” mentioned Hebert, herself having dropped the 2020 Alberta finale with Kelsey Rocque’s crew. “So we undoubtedly know now we have the power to get there and be there, which is a pleasant feeling to have. And to be sincere, we’re all mothers (together with lead Dayna Demmans) — we’ve acquired 9 youngsters between all of us, and I believe that provides us a really distinctive edge and a singular perspective on the sport, which units us a bit bit aside from the opposite groups.”

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Certainly, it’s a younger — and kid-free — subject relative to different years.

And it’s comprised largely of Edmonton-area groups.

Selena Sturmay and Serena Grey-Withers — each Saville Neighborhood Sports activities Centre squads — joined Hunkin as qualifiers via World Curling Group Rankings, whereas Saville clubmate Gracelyn Richards earned a berth on the Airdrie qualifier and Thistle Curling Membership’s Nicky Kaufman and Sherwood Park’s Michelle Hartwell sealed invitations on the Westlock qualifier.

The 2 Southern Alberta groups available are the Curling Alberta Excel Factors Race earners and defending provincial queens — skipped by Kayla Skrlik out of Calgary’s Garrison Curling Membership — and Jodi Vaughan’s Lethbridge rink, which additionally certified via the Airdrie occasion.

“I believe there’s a variety of groups that would take the title this 12 months,” Hebert mentioned. “In my intestine, it’s no matter group decides they need it to be there and are available out and carry out that week.

“I believe for us, it’s stepping into circulation state inside our personal group,” continued Hebert. “Then as soon as we hit that state, it’s form of such as you’re simply worrying about your self and also you’re simply in a very nice routine and issues are form of simply transferring alongside. If we are able to hit that state early and keep it for the week, I believe we’ve acquired an excellent likelihood at being profitable.”

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Dezaray Hawes, a second for Sturmay and a fellow Calgary product, thinks the identical of her robust squad, additionally based mostly in Edmonton.

Just like the Hunkin crew, Group Sturmay sports activities loads of big-game expertise, together with third Danielle Schmiemann — a former Rocque star — and Hawes — a two-time B.C. rep on the nationwide Scotties with Kamloops’ Corryn Brown in each 2020 and ’21.

“In the beginning of the season, with a model new group, we have been simply attempting to get new routines going and all that good things,” mentioned Hawes, 26 and simply six months in being an Albertan after transferring in the summertime to Calgary from Peachland, B.C. “We undoubtedly had a little bit of a slower begin, nevertheless it undoubtedly seems like each occasion, we’ve climbed the ladder and continued to play higher and continued to study one another’s tendencies, and all that has actually paid off.”

Sturmay, Hawes & Co. did hit St. Paul because the top-ranked group, having accrued extra factors than every other Alberta squad in each the Excel Factors Race and the World Curling Group Rankings.

And so they head in contemporary off final week’s Canadian Open — a Grand Slam of Curling main — in Purple Deer, throughout which they completed with a 1-3 document however held their very own towards Canada’s élite groups.

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“After Christmas, there’s sometimes not a variety of occasions to play in to steer into provincials,” added Hawes. “So that you go the primary couple months of your season taking part in each week, after which immediately, you may have this two-month break. So it’s very nice to get some actually good high quality video games in proper earlier than provincials.

“So we really feel like we are able to contend and be there on the finish.”

EXTRA ENDS

Wednesday night time’s draw kicked off the provincials, that are capped by Sunday’s crowning of the champion rink after the finale (3 p.m.) … Draw 1 noticed: Hunkin v. Vaughn; Kaufman v. Skrlik; Richards v. Sturmay; and Grey-Withers v. Hartwell … After 4 days of round-robin motion — together with two attracts every of Thursday, Friday and Saturday — the highest three groups make Sunday’s playoff spherical, which begins with the Nos. 2 and three groups in semifinal play (10 a.m.) … Past Hawes and Hebert, three different Calgary-area curlers are collaborating in provincials — Cochrane’s Zoe Cinnamon at lead for Grey-Withers and Okotoks’ Valerie Ekelund and Olympic silver-medallist Susan O’Connor, of Calgary, as lead and alternate respectively for Vaughan.

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

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